Labor Day 2015: What’s Closed And What’s Not?

Labor Day weekend 2015 is here, and Americans are piling into their cars and RVs and heading to beaches, lakes and national parks all across the country. Travel experts have noted that Labor Day 2015 could be one is the busiest three-day weekends travel-wise in recent memory. Cheap gas prices mean more American families taking Labor Day trips by car to relatively nearby destinations, and more money left for food, entertainment and souvenirs. Travel by air over the Labor Day weekend is also projected to hit near record levels.

Nearly all federal, state and local government offices and services are closed or not available on Labor Day (except for law enforcement). That said, quite a few cities do keep most or all of their parks and recreation department facilities open over the Labor Day weekend.

Check out a list of Labor Day 2015 business, school and government office closings below.

Selected Labor Day 2015 schedules and closings

For starters, there will be no mail or package delivery on Labor Day. The U.S. Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Monday, and both UPS and Federal Express are also closed on Monday.

All U.S. financial markets are closed for the holiday, including the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. Banks and savings & loans will also be closed in all cities on Monday.

All federal agencies are closed Monday except for skeleton crews or emergency operations staff. Housing, social service and immigration-related agencies will all be closed. Virtually all state agencies are also closed for the Labor Day weekend, including departments of motor vehicles and all permitting-related offices.

Local city and county agencies are also nearly all closed over the holiday weekend, with a few exceptions. Trash service pick up and recycling services are not operating on Monday, and all city administrative and legal departments are also closed. Libraries, public schools and colleges and universities are also closed in virtually all cities across the country.

Many cities, such as Austin, Texas and Iowa City, close down their parks & recreation department offices and facilities over the Labor Day weekend (parks open, but no services). A few cities across the country, such as Tallahassee, Florida and Burlington, Vermont, do keep their parks departments open and provide most of the usual services to local citizens over the busy holiday.

Public transportation is running in most cities, but typically on a holiday schedule.

All major retail outlets will be open over the holiday weekend, Labor Day is one of the biggest retails sales days of the year, as many families take advantage of the huge holiday sales and discounts to finalize their back to school and fall purchases. Several large retail chains are even offering extended shopping hours over the long weekend.

However, local grocery stores and pharmacies often keep different hours, so check to make sure they are open before you go. Keep in mind that some retail outlets may be open for shorter hours, and others are not opening their doors at all on Labor Day. Keep in mind that quite a few restaurants, especially smaller local eateries, will not be open on Monday